What Happened
Our firm successfully resolved a wrongful death and medical malpractice case after a young father died from a preventable pulmonary embolism while hospitalized following spine surgery.
The evidence showed our client was at extremely high risk for developing dangerous blood clots after surgery and physicians ordered sequential compression devices (SCDs) to prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT). However, hospital staff repeatedly allowed the devices to remain off for extended periods of time without notifying physicians or ensuring alternative blood clot prevention measures were used.
While without protection against blood clots, our client developed a deep vein thrombosis that traveled to his lungs, causing a fatal pulmonary embolism. An autopsy confirmed blood clots as the cause of death.
The case further revealed evidence that the hospital had previously been identified as performing worse than the national rate for serious blood clots after surgery, yet failed to implement adequate systems and policies to ensure high-risk patients received proper DVT prevention.
Practice Areas Involved
This result arose from the kind of care reviewed on these pages. If something similar happened in your family, they explain what the records are read for.